The present disclosure relates to automatic logout device and automatic logout method.
In recent years, a using form wherein a plurality of terminal devices shares one image forming apparatus is becoming popular. Such image forming apparatus is provided with a private print function for security reasons. Specifically, after a user sends print data from a specific terminal device to a common image forming apparatus, he goes to the image forming apparatus and executes the user authentication using an IC card, and so on. When the image forming apparatus authenticates the user and allows the user to log in, the print data thus sent is printed out. Hereby, the printed papers are not seen by the other person and it is possible to prevent from leaving the printed papers for a long time.
At using the private print function, there is a possibility that the user does not log out and takes the printed papers away from the image forming apparatus though he gave attention to the login operation. When the image forming apparatus is left as it is without the logout operation, the login state that the user does not wish is continued for a long time, and there is a problem that the security cannot be ensured.
In order to settle the above problem, there is an image forming apparatus including a user existence deciding unit for emitting an infrared light and detecting a user existing near the apparatus based on a reflected light from the user. The apparatus further includes a central control unit for controlling an external program execution unit and a device control unit in order to gradually control a power saving function, a device protection function, and a security function based on information from the user existence deciding unit whether or not the user exists.
There is also an information processing apparatus wherein an authorized user is carrying a wireless tag, a reading unit detects the wireless tag when a distance between the user and the apparatus is less than a specific threshold value, and not detect the wireless tag when the distance between the user and the apparatus is more than the specific threshold value. The apparatus further includes a control unit for permitting and prohibiting an input from an input unit based on the detection result of the wireless tag. Hereby, it is possible to continuously authenticate the user, certainly protect the data, and simplify the operations.
In the abovementioned conventional techniques, however, the apparatus requires special equipment like the user existence deciding unit for emitting the infrared light or the wireless tag, which increases the cost of the apparatus. This is a problem, too. In such apparatus, since the logout is executed by deciding whether or not the user exists in a specific range around the image forming apparatus, there is a possibility that the logout is unintentionally executed even when the user is apart from the apparatus in a short time during the operation, and the convenience of user friendliness is impaired.